Al Boyd
Al Boyd is an Atlantic City politician. He was an Alderman of the Atlantic City Council. He is a Republican and is initially loyal to political boss Nucky Thompson. He is ousted after turning against Nucky in a failed coup and is forced to take a custodian job. Boyd is played by Edward McGinty. Biography Background Boyd has been a local politician for several years. He is an Alderman of the Atlantic City Council. He is a Republican and works for political boss Nucky Thompson. As a Ward Boss he is responsible for making collections for Nucky's organization and managing Precinct Captains in his ward. He is an Irish American and a member of the Order of Ancient Celts. Season 1 With the dawn of prohibition Nucky assembles his organisation and explains that they are about to get in to bootlegging. Boyd and his colleagues greet the announcement with cheers and applause. ("Boardwalk Empire") Boyd and Nucky hand out cartons of cigarettes to hotel staff in Boyd's ward to maintain voter loyalty. ("The Ivory Tower") Boyd and the other aldermen attend Nucky's birthday party at Babette's with dates. ("Anastasia") Nucky counts money in his salon while Aldermen George O'Neill and Jim Neary play cards with fishing boat Captain Bill McCoy at the table. Boyd is playing the piano while Atlantic County Sheriff Eli Thompson sits next to his brother (Nucky) reading notes for his planned speech at the St. Patrick's Day dinner of the Order of Ancient Celts. Nucky chastises O’Neill and O’Neill says that prohibition puts them in uncharted territory. Neary toasts the Irish and their prodigious drinking and Nucky jokes that he personally drinks to forget, but can’t remember what. Fleming arrives with his collections money for Nucky and says that his ward’s speakeasies have been packed with people of all ethnicities. Nucky observes that people want what they cannot have and Boyd is impressed by Nucky’s grasp of psychology. Fleming says his people cannot keep liquor on the shelves, Eli interjects that it should be hidden under the shelves, while Fleming goes on to say he needs to increase his order. Eli asks if McCoy is listening and McCoy responds that he needs to get another boat. Fleming asks the others to deal him into their game and Nucky asks when McCoy is leaving port. McCoy jokingly says he leaves at “the stroke of midnight on a sea of green.” Fleming wonders if McCoy means that the sea is green from money or from the dyed beer they will serve later. Nucky wonders how the preparation of the beer is progressing and Neary reassures him that the food colouring has arrived and is being mixed with the beer as they speak. Nucky jokes that they will need plenty of beer to get the Celts through Eli’s re-election speech. Boyd is surprised that Eli is speaking and Nucky repeats his earlier comparison to Daniel Webster. Eli is annoyed at the jest but Nucky continues, revealing that Eli is taking lessons. Fleming toasts to “the great orator” and O’Neill requests a sample. Eli refuses and Nucky says the Irish are a surly lot. O’Neill suggests giving Eli a drink and Neary jokes that he can have green beer. Nucky says anyone can drink as long as they pay and Neary assures him that they will. McCoy bursts into song replacing the words from "Danny Boy" with an ode to Nucky’s bootlegging success. ("Nights in Ballygran") Boyd sits at the top table for the celebration dinner along with Neary, Nucky, Eli, Nucky and Eli's father Ethan Thompson and The Commodore. They listen as Eli's speech nearly causes a fight between first and second generation immigrants. Afterwards Eli drinks heavily. The dinner is raided by Prohibition Agents and Neary is arrested. Eli drunkenly tries to punch Nucky outside and Boyd helps the Sheriff home. ("Nights in Ballygran") In June 1920 Eli, Halloran, Neary and Fleming watch a pornographic film in Nucky’s suite; Nucky is in Chicago attending the 1920 Republican National Convention. Boyd turns the projector handle as the others whoop and whistle at the images featuring a nun having sex. Neary jokes that if his school had nuns like the one on screen he may have gotten past the sixth grade. Eli counters that nothing could have got Neary further in his studies. Neary has been released on bail and indicted for Volstead Act violations and O'Neill has been covering his collections. Fleming wonders where they find women who will appear in pornography and Halloran says that if he finds out he will keep it to himself. The reel ends and the others complain as Boyd tries to change it. Eli refills his drink and asks if they are happy with the arrangements to cover O’Neill’s collections while he goes to the hospital to support his daughter while she gets fitted for leg braces. Boyd runs down the split; he will take the inlet to Maryland Avenue while Fleming will take the other side. Neary bursts into song and Halloran wonders who will handle Lolly Steinman’s casino. Eli says he will handle it personally after going to the wedding of a cousin of his wife, June. Eli jokes that he is thinking of joining the priesthood as the image gets stuck. Boyd struggles with the projector and the film bursts into flame. Boyd puts the fire out by covering it with his jacket and Eli raises a toast to the film that was too hot to watch. The casino is robbed just before Eli makes his collection and Eli is shot and wounded. ("Hold Me in Paradise") Season 2 He betrays Nucky to side with The Commodore in his attempted political coup in season 2. Boyd and the other aldermen attend the memorial day celebrations in 1921. Nucky gives a speech and is careful to note that The Commodore is absent. The aldermen have heard rumours that The Commodore has been incapacitated by a stroke. ("Gimcrack & Bunkum") When Nucky announces his retirement as Atlantic County Treasurer, Jimmy Darmody hosts a celebration dinner at Babette’s Supper Club. Jim Neary reads the report on Nucky’s press conference aloud from evening edition of the newspaper. Boyd snatches the paper and jokes about Nucky’s situation. Eli Thompson is unamused by the banter as Boyd continues the story. Mayor Bader has named Neary as the new treasurer. Jimmy and Leander Cephas Whitlock congratulate Neary. Paddy Ryan jokes that the drinks are on Neary. Ryan and his companion sit down next to Richard Harrow. Jimmy approaches Harrow and they have a quiet conversation. Eli tries to initiate a private discussion with Jimmy but is interrupted by the arrival of Mickey Doyle and Manny Horvitz. Mickey performs a mocking bow to Jimmy, calling him a king. Jimmy wonders why Manny is there and Manny says that he never misses a celebration. Eli again asks for a word and Jimmy puts him off. The aldermen call for a speech and the other guests join their urging. Jimmy obliges them and begins by recalling their last dinner together (in January 1920) and their subsequent dissatisfaction with Nucky’s leadership. Mickey interrupts with a joke about Nucky and Jimmy angrily silences him. He goes on to talk about his father’s vision for their city as a kingdom by the sea and his own vision to share the kingdom with its court. He says that the war is over and quotes Senator William Marcy “to the victor go the spoils.” Whitlock offers a toast to “Prince James” and his long reign. ("Two Boats and a Lifeguard") Boyd is one of Esther Randolph's protected witnesses in the prosecution of Nuchy Thompson for election rigging, along with Paddy Ryan and Neary. However, as the judgement nears in August 1921, Jimmy Darmody summons Boyd and Ryan to his father's house and tells them to withdraw their testimonies. Boyd disagrees, although he is not as vocal in his opposition as Ryan. However, after Neary is murdered both Boyd and Ryan comply: they still attend Nucky's trial, but do not testify, to Randolph's anger. The trial is ultimately dismissed. ("To the Lost") Season 3 Boyd is no longer Ward Boss by December 31 1922, and has been reduced to cleaning the Boardwalk with a broom and a dustpan. ("Resolution") Relationships *Nucky Thompson - Former boss of the organization, former Atlantic County Treasurer (deceased) *Jimmy Darmody - Boss of the organization, co-conspirator against Nucky (deceased) *The Commodore - Former boss of the organization, former Treasurer, financial backer and co-conspirator against Nucky (deceased) *Leander Cephas Whitlock - Financial backer, co-conspirator against Nucky *Eli Thompson - Atlantic County Sheriff, co-conspirator against Nucky *George O'Neill - Alderman, co-conspirator against Nucky (deceased) *Jim Neary - Interim Atlantic County Treasurer, Alderman, co-conspirator against Nucky (deceased) *Damien Fleming - Alderman *Paddy Ryan - Chief clerk of the fourth ward, co-conspirator against Nucky *Mickey Doyle - Co-conspirator, bootlegger (deceased) *Richard Harrow - Co-conspirator, Darmody's enforcer (deceased) *Manny Horvitz - Associate (deceased) Memorable Quotes "Pychology." (Commenting on people wanting what they can't have, in regards to the increased demand of Alcohol during prohibition). "He fall into the shoe polish??" "He's dying his damn hair!" Appearances Category:Atlantic City Category:Gamblers Category:Irish people Category:Politicians Category:Recurring Characters Category:Season 1 Category:Season 2 Category:Season 3